Just this Once
by Kaye Dominique
Summary: Ciel was used to being the only child. His life was incredibly boring...until his parents decided to adopt a sixteen year old boy, saying that he needed a role model. AU. Not yaoi. Sorry to disappoint.
1. Chapter 1

This is set in present time. I'm caught up with the manga, but not the anime. Sebastian isn't a demon. Yet.

**DISCLAIMER: If Kuroshitsuji was mine, it'd have hardcore yaoi. **

* * *

He knew that the boy his parents chose to adopt would bring nothing but trouble. They said he needed an elder sibling to look up to, to be his role model. Ciel was perfectly happy being an only child. He didn't need an elder brother, much less one who looked like...like...

This was unusual. This is the first time he hadn't been able to think of some scathing description. The sixteen year old boy standing in between his parents smirked, like he knew what was going on in Ciel's head.

"Ciel, this is Sebastian. He'll be your elder brother from now on." Their father said, a hand on Sebastian's shoulder.

Damn him. He was already annoying Ciel. "I'm lucky to have such a cute little brother."

Ciel gritted his teeth. He was thirteen for God's sakes! He was mature for his age. He didn't need an elder brother!

Still, he kept his thoughts unspoken. It wouldn't do any good to act like a selfish, spoiled brat, especially with that...that...guy around. He didn't need to make a fool of himself.

Sebastian stepped forward and ruffled Ciel's hair. He stood about twice as tall as Ciel. As if he needed to be reminded of his height. "Would you please stop that?" The younger boy bit out, his anger barely contained.

"My, what a cute little pout." Sebastian smirked again. Oh, how Ciel wished he could wipe it off his face. He already hated it.

His hands were clenched into fists. _'No__, Ciel. You mustn't make a fool of yourself.'_ He ordered himself. He took a deep breath to steady himself. He uncurled his fists. "Nice to meet you, brother." He forced himself to smile, though it came out in a grimace.

"No need to be so serious, Ciel." Sebastian pulled the younger's cheeks apart, which was far more annoying than it was painful. The stupid smirk was still on his face. This guy was determined to drive Ciel into madness.

When Sebastian finally decided to release his cheeks, it felt like they've been stretched. Ciel rubbed them with his hands.

"Ciel, honey, would you show your brother to his new room?" His mother said in a sweet voice. She didn't even give him a chance to decline before she hurried off to the kitchen to prepare dinner.

"C'mon." He strode forwards, carrying himself like an adult. He heard a chuckle from Sebastian. Though it ticked him off, Ciel chose to ignore it. He walked up the staircase and down the hallway, stopping in front of a finely carved door. He turned the knob, entering the dark room. The lights flicked on.

His parents had spent about a month decorating and furnishing this room. His mother especially had fun picking out wallpapers and furniture to match. It fit Sebastian surprisingly well. He had an air of Victorian era about him, like he belonged in the time period.

Sebastian had already started unpacking his clothes, not that he owned much.

Ciel turned on his heel, about to leave the room. "Ciel."

He stopped, not even bothering to turn around and face his new brother. "What?" There was a hint of impatience in his tone, though he tried not to let it show.

"We haven't even known each other for an hour, yet you seem to hate my guts."

_'Your guts, that smirk and everything else about you, brother.'_ Ciel only huffed and went inside his room at the end of the hall. He didn't need to explain himself to that guy.

"Not talkative, hm?" Sebastian said to himself as he continued to unpack.

A soft mew made him pause, a folded jumper in his hands. A black kitten had been watching him curiously, its head tipped to one side. Sebastian opened the window, letting the kitten inside. It hopped down onto the carpeted floor, rubbing its lithe body around Sebastian's legs.

He sat down and petted its head, a smile on his face. Cats were adorable. Much better than dogs, who liked to get themselves filthy and roll around in garbage.

"So soft." Sebastian murmured as he stroked the kitten's midnight colored fur. "I wonder if I can keep you." The kitten mewed in reply.

"Sebastian?" He'd been so absorbed with the cat that he didn't notice his new mother enter the room. "Time for dinner. Could you get your brother as well?"

"Of course." Sebastian stood up, the kitten in his arms. He set it down where he first saw it. He left the window open so that it could come and go into his room as it pleased. The dark haired teen dusted himself off before approaching Ciel's room. He rapped his knuckles thrice on the wooden door, which was carved like his own. "Dinner's ready."

"I'm not hungry." Came Ciel's reply from inside.

"You shouldn't skip a meal, Ciel."

"I don't care. I'll come down when I get hungry."

"Suit yourself." Sebastian found his way into the kitchen. "Is there anything I can help with?" He asked.

"Oh, that's alright. I've got it."

Since Ciel wasn't there for Sebastian to annoy, dinner was rather boring, and the following hours after.

The younger of the two stayed locked up in his room, until his stomach growled. It was past midnight already. He'd gotten so caught up in his reading that he hadn't noticed the time.

_'I wonder if Mother set aside some food for me?_' Ciel opened his door a crack. Sebastian's door was closed, no light seeping from the crack at the bottom. He'd gone to sleep.

Ciel went down to the kitchen as quietly as he could manage, not wanting for his evil brother to wake up and annoy him. He turned the lights on, shaking his head. His eyes grew accustomed to the dark after the few minutes he spent creeping around in the dark halls.

He opened the refrigerator. His mother had indeed set aside a plate of food for him, but he decided to eat something else instead. He felt like eating something sweet right now. Ciel began to rummage around the kitchen, hunting for the sweets his mother always hid from him. He was the type to eat it all in one sitting.

"Ah." He took out the box of chocolate stashed behind the spices.

"You know, it isn't good to eat chocolates in the middle of the night." Sebastian's sudden statement made him jump. Ciel didn't even hear him coming.

"Go back to sleep."

"You're the one who should be sleeping. You'll never get any taller if you don't sleep properly." Sebastian took the chocolates away from Ciel, placing it on the highest shelf.

"Go away." Sebastian pretended he didn't hear Ciel as he took the plate out for him, placing it in the microwave.

"Don't you have school tomorrow?"

"Yes, and so do you."

"It's not my fault if you wake up tired. You should've had dinner at the appropriate time."

The microwave beeped a few times before Sebastian took the plate out, setting it on the kitchen table in front of Ciel. "Finish that, then brush your teeth and go to sleep."

"You're not my mom."

"No, but I am your elder brother."

_'Not by blood, you're not.'_ Ciel thought as he ate. While he finished eating, Sebastian washed the dishes. "Give me your plate when you're done."

_'Damn him. I wanted chocolates, but no, he had to come here and lecture me about eating and sleeping and whatever else it was. Who does he think he is? He hasn't been here for even a day and he's already bossing me around!'_ Ciel thought as he made his way to the bathroom to brush his teeth.

* * *

Their relationship remained the same for a few months. Ciel had always been cold toward him. He didn't have to like Sebastian. He just had to be able to stay in the same room as him without killing him and such. Though it was getting quite difficult to refrain from doing so as time passed.

Did he have to be perfect at everything? Sebastian currently held first place in his grade for test scores. He was good at every sport known to man, he wasn't stuck up or mean (save for the times he teased Ciel just for the hell of it), he was talented in the arts and he wasn't that bad-looking. He was the perfect son.

Ciel had to work four times as hard so as not to look lazy and stupid compared to Sebastian, who didn't even need to try. It pissed him off to no end how one person could be that perfect.

Sebastian waited for him at the school gates. They'd always walk home together. Ciel wasn't exactly the most social person around. He preferred keeping to himself, talking only when he needed to. Most of his classmates avoided him, which suited him just fine. Except for that annoying Trancy kid. Was he too stupid to take a hint?

Sebastian on the other hand, was was quite popular, though like Ciel, he preferred his own company. He wasn't as anti-social as the younger though.

Ciel rolled his eyes as Sebastian stooped down to pet a cat. The sixteen year old had a weakness for the creatures. "Why do you like cats? They're smelly, they scratch up furniture and they cough up hairballs everywhere."

"I think they're cute."

"Can't you pet cats when we're at home? You already have five in your room."

"That doesn't mean I'll be able to resist any other feline's charms." Sebastian smiled, stroking the cat's back.

_'Hurry up, you cat-loving basketball player.'_ Ciel glared a hole into the back of Sebastian's head. The dark haired boy certainly had the height that would give him an advantage in the game.

"Let's go home." Sebastian petted the cat one last time before standing.

_'Finally.'_

* * *

The Phantomhive residence was about a few more minutes away. Their house was pretty large compared to the other houses in the area, and it was built to make it appear as though it was the only one for miles away, when in truth, it was actually just a few minutes' walk to the closest one.

When he was younger, Ciel liked to explore the forest surrounding their home, getting himself lost a few times. His father was the one who often found him curled up under a tree, crying.

The front door was wide open. Neither of their parents would leave it wide open like that. Something was wrong.

"Ciel, hide in the woods. Don't come inside the house until I come and get you." Sebastian said, stopping him from entering the house. Ciel nodded and took off into the woods. He didn't dare argue with Sebastian, not with the look on the older boy's face.

Sebastian picked up the shovel their mother used to plant shrubs a few days ago. It would have to do for now. He couldn't just waltz in there unarmed. Who knows who would be in there, lying in wait for him and Ciel?

He checked every possible hiding place in the house, the shovel as a makeshift weapon. The living room was the last place he had to check. He dropped the shovel in horror.

Ciel waited for Sebastian to come out of the house. A thought suddenly occurred to him. Maybe whoever it was who broke into their house had gotten him. Ciel wasn't too fond of Sebastian, but he was still his brother.

He entered the house cautiously, his heart pounding against his chest. "S-Sebastian?" He called hesitantly. He didn't know if there was someone else in the house. He could see the handle of the shovel Sebastian had been holding, abandoned on the floor. He entered the living room, finding Sebastian standing stock-still.

A large puddle of blood lay in the centre of the room, the mangled remains of their parents the source of it.

"Mother...Father..." Ciel whispered, his small frame shaking, tears silently streaming down his cheeks. What did his parents do to deserve this fate? Was he and Sebastian to end up like them? He averted his eyes from the gruesome display, but it remained etched into his mind's eye. _'No. No. No.'_

He couldn't take it anymore. He emptied the contents of his stomach out onto the floor. Sebastian snapped out of his trance, turning towards him.

"Ciel..." Sebastian steered him outside, away from the horrible sight.

Ciel wrapped his arms tightly around Sebastian's midsection. "S-Sebastian..." The boys had no one else but each other now. "Wh-why..."

"I don't know..." Sebastian replied in a hoarse whisper, already knowing his question. He was wondering the same thing. Their parents didn't do anything wrong. They were nice people. They treated him and Ciel equally, despite that he wasn't their own flesh and blood.

He held the smaller boy tightly, to quell Ciel's, as well as his own fears. Who would do something like that? What reason did they have? Would they come after him and Ciel next?

For the first time in his life, Sebastian didn't know the answer to his own questions. He had no idea who committed the murder. He couldn't avenge his parents' deaths. He felt useless. All he could do was comfort his little brother and hope that this was all just a silly dream that he'd wake up from.

* * *

The next few hours went by like a blur. Ciel didn't remember being placed in a bed. This was an unfamiliar room. This wasn't his room. "Sebastian!" Ciel shouted, afraid that he was left alone, that the murderer had gotten to his brother. The teen came running into the room.

"What's wrong?" Sebastian's eyes quickly darted around the room, searching for a threat. The day's events had him constantly checking over his shoulder, in a state of paranoia.

"Don't leave me." It wasn't a request. It was an order. Since Sebastian was the only one he had left, Ciel was determined not to let him leave his sight. Sebastian seated himself on the edge of Ciel's bed. His presence made the thirteen year old feel a little better.

"Where are we?"

"The police relocated us here. They couldn't have us staying there." Sebastian pulled his brother closer to him, a hand stroking Ciel's hair. The blue haired boy was trembling, and Sebastian could feel moisture seeping into his shirt. He let Ciel cry himself back to sleep. Even then, he didn't release his brother.

* * *

This is the most serious piece I've ever written. Don't believe me? Check out my fictionpress stories, Dragon Scar and All in Good Time (yaoi story, you've been warned). My username is the same there.

Reviews are appreciated. Thanks for reading.


	2. Chapter 2

Listening to my friends argue about digimon in computer science. Anyways, this chapter is a bit shorter, but oh well. Better than no chapter, right?

**Disclaimer: Kuroshitsuji isn't mine. We've been over this in the first chapter, right?**

* * *

"Ciel, you have to eat something." Sebastian said, holding a bowl of stew in his hands.

"I don't want to." The younger was staring off into space while Sebastian tried to coax him to eat. He'd been like this for the past few days. He just stared at some distant object for hours. He hadn't eaten anything since breakfast the other day, and that was only a few bites of a scone.

"Please Ciel. You'll get sick if you don't eat."

"I don't care."

"Ciel. Mother and Father wouldn't be happy to see you like this."

"Shut up!" The bowl shattered on the floor, stew spilling everywhere. "It's your fault that Mother and Father aren't here anymore! If you hadn't been adopted, I would've been happier!

They would still be alive! I hate you! I wish you hadn't been adopted!" Ciel shouted at him. His breathing was ragged from all his shouting.

"I don't see how their adopting me is connected to their murder." Sebastian said levelly as he picked up the shards. He kept his head down, avoiding Ciel's eyes.

"S-Sebastian..." Ciel realized the unforgivable things he'd just said to the one person he had left. He watched dumbly as Sebastian cleaned the mess on the floor without saying another word. He dumped the shards of glass in the garbage can.

"You were never happy to see me, Ciel. I'd hoped we'd learn to get along, but I was mistaken." Sebastian closed the door behind him.

_'What have I done?'_ Ciel stood up from the bed, running after his brother. "Sebastian!"

The sixteen year old was walking down the hall, away from Ciel.

"Sebastian!" His hands fisted in Sebastian's shirt, holding him in place. "I-I didn't mean those things...y-you may be annoying, but y-you're still my b-big brother..." He hiccupped in between sobs. "Please don't leave me."

He already lost his parents, he couldn't lose his only remaining family member left. He didn't want to be all by himself.

"I don't think I could even if I wanted to." Sebastian gently loosened Ciel's hold on him. He stooped down so that they were at the same height. "Crying does not suit you." He took out a handkerchief and used it to dry Ciel's tears.

"Y-you're not mad?"

"I'm a little hurt by your words, but I'll live." Sebastian ruffled Ciel's hair affectionately, his signature smirk on his face. The younger wrapped his arms around Sebastian's neck.

"You won't tell anyone about this, will you?"

Sebastian only chuckled. Ciel was truly an interesting brother.

* * *

"Sebastian, what are you reading?" Ciel asked, rubbing his eyes. The dark haired teen stood by the window, reading what looked like a letter. A pair of thin rimmed glasses were perched on the bridge of his nose. "Your eyes will get worse if you don't read with proper lighting. You'll have to wear thick glasses and I'll call you a nerd every time I see you." Sebastian was only reading with the moonlight filtering in through the window.

"Ciel, it appears we have a great uncle in Japan. He's the only one who can take care of us, seeing as Aunt Frances has to take over the Funtom Company in place of Father. She'll be quite busy." Sebastian completely ignored Ciel's comment. "Aunt Ann on the other hand will be occupied with matters abroad."

"We're moving?"

"Yes. I'm not of age yet, therefore, I can't be your legal guardian."

So they'll be leaving England all together. They'll be living far away from their old home. Far away from their parents' final resting place.

"When are we leaving?"

"In a week's time."

"Sebastian..." Ciel trailed off. He didn't want to leave England. He didn't want to forget his parents and live like they've never existed. He didn't need to finish his sentence.

"It'll be alright, Ciel." Sebastian placed the letter down on the table, setting his glasses on top of it.

"I don't want to leave. I don't know how to speak Japanese and what their customs are."

"That's not what you're really worried about, is it?" He could read his younger brother like an open book.

No matter how hard Ciel tried to conceal his emotions, it was rather difficult to do it around Sebastian, especially now that they've been orphaned so suddenly.

He didn't want to leave.

"I want to see Mother and Father."

Sebastian stayed quiet for a while.

"I want to visit their graves."

* * *

Ciel followed Sebastian, two bouquets of flowers in the older boy's arms.

He hadn't thought he'd visit his parents' graves this early. They were still young.

...at least they were buried in a beautiful place. With lush greenery and the horizon untainted by humankind's creations, this could be called heaven on earth. Ciel couldn't make out any buildings from this place. It was like an endless sea of green, multicolored flowers dotting the landscape. They'd requested that their parents should be buried in the woods near their house.

He couldn't help wishing that their parents were still alive. They could enjoy the beautiful scenery together. They could've had a picnic here.

Sebastian laid the flowers down on the graves gently. "I promise I'll take care of Ciel, Mother, Father." He murmured, touching the cold surface of the headstones.

Ciel stepped forward to stand beside Sebastian. "I miss them." No tears were falling from his eyes. He'd already cried himself out. He felt empty.

"I do too."

The brothers stayed at the graves for a while in silence.

Sebastian straightened up, placing a hand on Ciel's shoulder. "We should get back before it gets dark." The younger nodded.

They started to walk away. Ciel spared a backwards glance at the two graves amidst the sea of green. He was unsure when he'll be able to visit them again.

* * *

Ciel looked around the large airport. Quite a large place. Sebastian was off at the desk, handling some papers and such.

Aunt Frances made time to see them off, despite her now tightly packed schedule. Elizabeth had come along as well, but Ciel lost sight of her.

"Ciel!" Ah, speak of the devil. Elizabeth was running towards him, her skirts gathered up to prevent herself from tripping on the puffy pink dress. A shopping bag was clutched in one hand.

"Look at what I found in the gift shop!" She took a headband with black cat ears out of the bag. "It'll look adorable on you!"

"Lizzie! I don't want to wear that thing!" Ciel protested, trying to move his head out of the girl's reach.

Sebastian came back, papers and other important materials in his hand. He chuckled at the scene. Ciel sulked in his seat, the black cat ears perched on his head. Elizabeth had won, and was now smiling victoriously.

"Ciel, if you keep frowning like that, you'll get wrinkles!" Elizabeth tried to smooth out the crease in Ciel's forehead with her finger. "You'll look like an old man!"

"Lizzie! Stop it! That hurts!"

Their cousin certainly was fun to have around. Unfortunately, it might be some time before they see her again.

"Ah, Sebastian! I bought a pair for you too!" Elizabeth gave the bag to Sebastian.

"Thank you." He accepted the bag with a smile.

"What are you two sitting around for? You'll be late for your flight!" Aunt Frances shooed the brothers in the direction of the gates. "Take care of yourselves! And remember not to let your hair grow too long, Sebastian."

"Of course." Sebastian smiled.

"Bye bye! Remember to call or email me!" Elizabeth waved goodbye.

As soon as they were hidden in one of the inner hallways of the airport, Ciel all but ripped off the cat ears.

"You should've kept them on. They looked cute."

"Tch. They looked ridiculous."

* * *

The flight to Japan was extremely boring. The endless yapping of the elderly women who sat in front of them got on his nerves. Who talked that much? He already had the headphones on, but it still wasn't enough to drown out their incessant talking.

_'Please shut up.'_ Ciel thought, gripping the edge of his seat tightly.

Sebastian noticed his younger brother's agitation, and took out a novel he managed to save from their former home.

"Ciel."

"Oh. This is my favorite book. How'd you get it?" Ciel took the hardcover book carefully, as if it would disintegrate if he handled it too roughly.

Sebastian simply smiled.

* * *

Briefly talked about monks in anime and manga and how they're alcoholics. Yeah, this is normal. Reviews are appreciated! Thanks for reading!


	3. Chapter 3

This is what people would call the calm before the storm, ne? I'm seriously loving the fact that I have wifi anywhere in my house now. (we hade wire whatever you call it internet) I just spent my day watching Toradora for the second time and Togainu no Chi.

**Disclaimer: If Kuroshitsuji was mine and I had the mangaka's artistic talents, it'd be hardcore yaoi that will probably mentally scar most of you. **

Some OCs are introduced, but none of them will be main charas. That's in the next chapter. They're just there for comic relief. And I did take the school from Dragon Scar.

* * *

Ciel blinked in surprise. He couldn't understand a word Sebastian was saying. He was certain it was Japanese, though.

Sebastian put the phone back in its holder, turning to Ciel. "Tanaka-ojii-san will be meeting us here shortly."

"How did you..."

"Learn Japanese? I studied a few languages before I was adopted. Japanese was one of them."

_'Can't say I didn't expect that. He is Sebastian after all.' _Ciel knew Sebastian long enough to know that his brother was capable of doing practically anything. He doubted that there would be anyone else who was on his level.

"Sebastian, are you an alien?" Ciel asked.

"Don't be silly. I'm human, the last time I checked."

"I think you should check again."

"I'm human, Ciel." Sebastian picked up his backpack.

They hadn't been able to salvage much of their clothes, with their house being a crime scene and all. They'd been able to get away with little questioning from the police, at Aunt Frances' interference.

* * *

Sebastian sat up, hearing the door creak. He'd been lying in bed, fully awake. Ciel was standing by the door, his blanket wrapped around him.

"I can't sleep. It's so different here."

"We'll get used to it." Sebastian allowed Ciel to sit on his bed.

"Can I sleep here for tonight?"

"What, too scared to sleep by yourself?" Sebastian teased, a hint of a smile on his face.

"Am not." Ciel lightly punched his brother.

Sebastian scooted aside to make room for Ciel. The younger climbed in, pink tinting his cheeks. He'd never admit that Sebastian's presence made him feel safe.

"We'll have to continue school here, don't we?" Ciel asked, once they were both lying down.

"Yes, until we're old enough that we can take over the Funtom company."

"I'll learn Japanese before we go to school, right?"

"I'll teach you tomorrow. I won't let you go unprepared."

Ciel had drifted off to sleep a few minutes later, while Sebastian stared up at the ceiling. They've grown somewhat closer during this past week, though it's unfortunate that the cause of it was their parents' early deaths.

Ciel shifted, turning towards Sebastian in his sleep. He unconsciously hugged his older brother. "...don't leave me..."

Sebastian smiled. "Never, Ciel. I'll never leave you by yourself." He said softly, brushing strands of hair away from his brother's face. _'All we have now is each other. I can't bear the thought of being all alone again.' _

* * *

Ciel's hand hit the pillow. He lifted his head up sleepily. _'Wasn't Sebastian supposed to be there?' _He sat up, rubbing the sleep away from his eyes. _'Where'd he go?' _

A terrifying thought occurred to him. Was it possible that the murderer had followed them to Japan and had taken Sebastian? He threw off the blanket, searching the house frantically for him. Ciel found Sebastian in the kitchen, making breakfast.

"Tanaka-ojii-san isn't awake yet, so don't make so much noise."

"What are you making?"

"Tamagoyaki." Sebastian replied.

"...what's the English name?"

"Rolled omelette."

"You should've said so in the first place." Ciel pouted, sitting at the dining table, which was separated from the kitchen by a counter. Sebastian chuckled. "Don't laugh at me! It's not my fault I can't understand Japanese!"

"Oh, you two are awake already?" Tanaka said in English for Ciel's sake.

"Ohayo gozaimasu." Sebastian said.

"Showoff." Ciel muttered under his breath.

"Did you two sleep well?"

"We'll get used to the time change soon, I hope." Sebastian answered. "I've already made breakfast." He said this in English, as he'd had enough fun annoying Ciel for the moment.

"I've already enrolled you two in Tenshi Academy. It's a school from elementary to high school, so you'll see each other around. All we need to do is get you measured for your uniforms."

"Don't we need to take an entrance test of some sort?" Ciel asked.

"Ah, yes. You can take the test in English."

"I don't know how to read, write or speak in Japanese. How will I understand what we're doing in school?"

Sebastian set the three plates of tamagoyaki down. "I'll teach you."

Sebastian sighed in exasperation. This was the fifth time he'd had to repeat himself. "For the last time, you don't pronounce words like in English." He held up a red apple and pointed to it. "Ringo desu. Rin-goh dess."

"Ri-ringo desu?" Ciel repeated, unsure whether he pronounced it correctly.

_'He usually gets new concepts quickly. Japanese is the exception. This is troublesome.'_

"Good. Now translate it into English."

"I'm an apple?"

"...technically, that would be correct."

By the end of the day, Ciel was able to speak in broken Japanese. It was a start.

"We'll start on reading and writing tomorrow."

* * *

"I don't want to go to school!" Ciel said, trying to keep the door closed.

Sebastian forced the door open and carried Ciel by the waist. "Stop acting like a five-year old. We're going to school."

_'What if they can't understand me? What if they make fun of me? What if the teacher calls on me and I don't understand the question?' _Each scenario only served to make Ciel want to escape and lock himself in his room. He couldn't stand making a fool of himself in an entirely different country.

"It'll be fine, Ciel. You can understand me right now, can't you?" Sebastian asked in fluent Japanese. Ciel nodded. "Then you'll be fine. We'll eat lunch together, alright?"

Ciel's class was certainly a strange one. Despite the majority of the students having high grades, they seemed like they belonged in an asylum, jail or a hospital.

One girl was particularly fond of making things explode. It seemed that the explosions were caused by her willing it to happen. She also kept a dog by her side (Ciel was sure pets were banned from school grounds), the said dog often sent to attack a dark-haired boy in their class, and another boy with blonde hair.

Another girl was extremely hyper and kept bursting out into random fits of laughter. She screamed random things from time to time as well.

Two other girls kept talking about anime and manga, which Ciel didn't find strange. What he did find frightening was one kept stuffed dolls of an anime character or something in her backpack, all of which were able to move and interact with her. She'd ordered one of the dolls to go scare the silver haired boy near the front.

The other had a sword hidden in her desk, and made very descriptive and gory threats to the dark-haired boy mentioned earlier.

The teacher and the other students found this normal and disregarded it.

_'Why did grandfather Tanaka enroll me in this school? I'm surrounded by lunatics!' _

Sebastian's class, meanwhile, was perfectly normal, contrary to Ciel's class. He'd managed to amaze everyone, being Sebastian and all.

Lunch soon arrived, and he went to Ciel's class, declining a few invitations politely.

"Where would you like to have lunch?" Sebastian asked his younger brother.

"Outside. Somewhere quiet."

They found such a place near the gardens, surrounded by trees and plants.

"How was your morning?"

"Why do I always get stuck with the weirdos?"

"That's rude, Ciel. We've only been here for half a day. Don't judge people."

"But it's true! Look, those are my classmates over there."

"S-Sachiko! Get him away from me!" Ciel's silver-haired classmate ran by, chased by one of Sachiko's plushies.

"That's a way of expressing your love."

"Scaring them to death? I doubt that."

"Think about it this way, Ciel. If you love someone, wouldn't you use any tactic you can to get that person in your arms?"

"...what have you been reading, Sebastian?"

"Yukari-san was reading yaoi manga during class. I could easily see what she was reading over her shoulder."

"What's yaoi?" Ciel asked.

Sebastian blinked. "To put it bluntly, a manga about two males having sex."

Ciel involuntarily moved away from him. "...you're not gay, are you?"

"If I took an interest in you that way, it would be called incest, would it not?" Sebastian asked, smiling innocently.

"...I think I'll head back to class now." Ciel stood up, thoroughly disturbed.

"I should've taken a picture." Sebastian muttered to himself.

Ciel found himself lost amidst the large grounds of the academy. He'd forgotten the way back to his class. _'Why didn't I pay attention when we were walking?' _He cursed himself. How was he supposed to go back now?

"Ciel-kun?" He looked up. That was the first time in the day that someone pronounced his name in English. It was one of his classmates. Kenshin if he remembered correctly.

"O-oh...um...k-konnichiwa?" Ciel said hesitantly. He racked his brains, Sebastian told him how to ask for directions in Japanese. It must've gotten lost somewhere in his mind...how lovely. "A-ah...um...b-basutei wa do-doko deshou k-ka?"

Kenshin laughed. "I think you meant classroom, not bus stop." He said in English.

Ciel turned red. "Y-yeah." He looked away. _'I've made a complete idiot of myself! He can speak English! I should've asked that first! Idiot!'_

"So you're from England? How do you like it here in Japan?" Kenshin asked as they walked in the direction of the middle school building. He was attempting to distract Ciel from his mental self-cursing.

"I haven't seen much, but the customs are very different here. It's so confusing."

"You'll get used to it."

"How come you can speak English so fluently?" Ciel asked. Kenshin's English was natural. It contained none of the Japanese accent that he'd been hearing quite a lot.

"Oh, that's because I just moved here from Canada a few months ago." Kenshin opened the door and walked in, Ciel following him.

The dark-haired boy took cover behind Kenshin, two of their female classmates looking at him in a way that made Ciel think that they wanted to kill him.

The boys began to speak in rapid Japanese, Ciel unable to follow their conversation.

"You idiot..." Kenshin said in English. "Ciel-kun, could you take care of Shintaro over here and make sure he doesn't do anything stupid?"

"O-okay."

Kenshin walked up to the girls and said something in Japanese, earning himself a hit from the brown-haired girl.

"Way to go, Ashida." Shintaro said sarcastically. Ciel was able to follow them somehow, picking up some words and interpreting what the whole sentence would be.

"Shintaro, shut up!" The purple-haired girl, whom Ciel distinctly remembered had a sword. He made a mental note never to get her mad. "I'll really kill you this time!"

For the remainder of the day, Ciel sat in the same classroom, taking down notes that the teacher wrote down on the board. He wrote them in English for two reasons. The first is he couldn't write legibly in kana or whatever it was. The second was that it would be a pain to re-read his notes and try to translate them later when he won't remember what they learned about.

He knew he'd have to learn to write in Japanese eventually. But until then, he'll write in English.

* * *

Sebastian waited for Ciel outside the middle school building. 'Ciel's more of a visual learner. I'll have to buy him a book or something similar.' It was lucky that on their way home, they'd pass a bookstore.

He walked inside, Ciel following him. "Why are we going in here?"

"We're going to buy you a book. Preferably something along the lines of Japanese for Dummies."

"Hey!"

Sebastian browsed through the selection of books. It wasn't long before he found what he was looking for. He had three books in total. One for basic Japanese, another for advanced Japanese, and the final one was about writing.

Ciel wandered off to a different aisle, searching for English novels.

"Sebastian-san, nice meeting you here." A girl from his class approached him.

"Suzuka-san." Sebastian smiled politely.

"How to speak in Japanese?" She read the cover. "What do you need that for? You already talk like a natural."

"It's for my brother."

"Sebastian, can we get this?" Ciel appeared, holding an origami book. "I saw one of my classmates doing it. It looked-" He stopped.

"Aww, he's so cute."

"Don't call me cute." Was the first sentence Ciel learned in Japanese.

"Ciel, this is my classmate, Suzuka Yumi-san. Suzuka-san, Ciel, my little brother."

"Yes, we can get it." Sebastian added Ciel's origami book to the other books in his arms. "We have to go now, Suzuka-san. It was nice talking to you."

"Bye bye."

"Looks like you're popular with girls here too." Ciel commented.

"If you didn't have a sour look on your face all the time, you would be too. And you should stop being a grouch."

"I am not a grouch!"

"Sure you're not." Sebastian went to pay for the books. Ciel followed him, sticking his tongue out at his brother behind his back.

* * *

Ciel growled in frustration. Why didn't it look like the picture in the book? He took yet another square of origami paper and tried to follow the diagrams.

"Match up the edges." Sebastian said, looking up from his book. "Crease it with your nail." His lips were curved up in amusement. It was entertaining to watch Ciel silently curse the book and the origami paper.

Ciel followed Sebastian's advice. He used his nail to crease the paper.

"Stupid beak. It's too tiny." Ciel muttered, trying to fold the head correctly. It looked like a bird who flew straight into a metal post and squashed its beak.

"Here." Sebastian took the origami bird from Ciel and fixed the beak. He gave it back to the younger boy.

"How do you fold these tiny things?"

"You should start with the easier ones, Ciel. You have to learn the basics first. Take cooking for example. You can't cook amazing dishes just by throwing things together. You have to learn the techniques and which goes well with which."

"So I should start with the fish instead of the swan?" Sebastian nodded.

Ciel flipped to the page with the instructions for the fish. He just followed the pictures instead of going through the trouble of translating the symbols in his head.

_'Looks like he's back to normal.' _

Sebastian woke up to make breakfast. Ciel was still asleep, having snuck into the elder's bed past midnight. Sebastian used his pillow as a substitute for himself, tucking it under Ciel's arm. _'You need to sleep more so you'll grow taller.' _

* * *

In case you're interested, the OCs:

Hamasaki Tsuki - the crazy girl with the devil dog

Ashida Kenshin - blonde dude who talks to Ciel

Yukimura Shintaro - the guy who usually gets forced into female clothing in Dragon Scar

Yan Hirumi - Izumi Konata and Aisaka Taiga combined, usually the one who forces Shintaro into crossplay

Fushida Sachiko - obsessive fangirl/computer genius, has vast amounts of Skye Cirrus plushies made into android-type things.

Kato Riku - guy with silver hair, usually bullied by Sachiko with her Skye plushies, has phobia of said character

Skye is based on Cloud Strife, since the real Sachiko is obsessed with him. Still waiting for her to make androids. Hey, if you're reading this, can you get started on that? I'm gonna steal one and make him look like a girl.

Anyways, if you're interested, you can read Dragon Scar and All in Good Time (shonen-ai) here: http : / / www . fictionpress . com / u / 666539 / (take out spaces) shameless advertising! owo

Thanks for reading and please review! Ideas and feedback are appreciated! (to be honest, I don't know what the hell I want to do with this story after chapter 4)


	4. Chapter 4

Hiya! Double update to make up for taking so long! In case I haven't mentioned before, Sebastian was human. One final OC, this one's a main character. I promise it won't be OCxSebastian or OCxCiel. I know how people hate those. Though I do like her way better than Elizabeth in the series. Hm...20 chapters should be enough for me to finish this story once I figure out who to make the antagonist.

**Disclaimer: We've been over this three times. Kuroshitsuji will be hardcore yaoi if I owned it. And much more random. **

* * *

_'Where is he?' _Sebastian wondered. Why wasn't Ciel in his classroom? The hallways were almost void of middle school students. He stepped inside the classroom. There was only one of Ciel's classmates left, packing up his belongings. "Excuse me, do you know where my brother Ciel went?"

"Didn't you pick him up just a few minutes ago?" The silver-haired boy asked.

_'Surely I'd remember if I did that.' _Sebastian walked out of the building.

"Sebastian-san!" Suzuka Yumi from his class called out to him. "Your little brother told me to give this to you." She held a folded piece of paper out to him. "He said he had a surprise for you."

_'Surprise? That doesn't sound like Ciel.' _He took the note in silence. It was filled with random lines. _'Is this some kind of joke?' _

He examined it more closely. There seemed to be different creases in the paper. Sebastian began to fold the paper at the creases. The lines began to form something.

It was a clock with roman numerals. He unfolded one flap. _'A clock tower? It looks like the one in the middle of the school grounds.' _

The drawing of the clock tower was his only lead. He took off at a run towards it, the strange note in his hand.

_'The one who took Ciel must've looked like me. What his classmate said is proof of that. Hold on Ciel, I'm coming to get you.' _

He went inside the clock tower, which also functioned as the student council room. He called for the elevator. _'This is taking too long.'_ Sebastian took the stairs, taking two at a time.

He finally reached the top. He opened the wooden doors. The room was deathly silent, the only noises were Sebastian's breathing and his heart pounding in his chest.

He slowly entered the room, keeping a hand on the door. His cellphone rang. It was Ciel's number.

_'Ciel!' _He answered it. "Ciel! Where are you?"

A harsh laugh rang in his ears. "Your brother's a little occupied right now." He could hear Ciel screaming in agony.

"Ciel! Ciel! Give him back or I'll-"

"You'll what? You don't know who or where we are." The man laughed again.

_'He's right. I don't know where to find them or who they even are.'_ He balled up his hands into fists.

"And don't even think of going to the police, or your brother will have a bullet through his brain."

"What do you want?"

"For the heirs of the Funtom company to die."

"Then let him go! I'll take his place!"

"I suggest you forget all about your brother here. You'd better worry about yourself."

The dial tone droned on in his ear. An explosion shook the clock tower. Sebastian headed down the stairs._ 'They intend to kill both of us.' _

Fire flared up at the foot of the stairs, consuming the wooden walls of the clock tower. He whirled around to go back upstairs.

Old wooden beams fell from the ceiling, barring his way. He coughed, having difficulty breathing. Smoke filled the burning building. It was starting to look a lot like how he pictured hell.

_'I can't die like this.'_ Burning debris fell around him. _'I don't want to die yet. I have to save Ciel.'_

A girlish giggle could be heard throughout the collapsing tower.

He leaned against the wall, covering his mouth and nose with his hand. His eyes watered because of the smoke.

Through his blurred vision, he could see a tiny figure making its way towards him through the fire. A little girl of ten stood in front of him.

_'I'm hallucinating. I have to get out of this place.'_ He felt along the wall for a window. His fingers slid on glass. _'I'd rather live and break my bones than be burnt to a crisp.'_

He broke through the glass, shards scratching at him. He plummeted for a few seconds before he crashed onto the grass. He landed on his right arm. Pain burned throughout his body as he attempted to move.

"Wow, they really want you dead, onii-san." The little girl had followed him, though she seemed unhurt.

Sebastian lifted his head, gritting his teeth as the action caused him more pain. There were a few armed men looking up at the tower, trying to ascertain whether he was still in the tower.

_'I have to get away.' _

He tried to ignore the pain and pushed himself up with his good arm.

"He's over there!"

He narrowly avoided a bullet through his head. He stumbled forward, clutching his useless arm. He forced himself to run, taking shelter in the forest that surrounded the clock tower.

The little girl ran alongside him, but her feet didn't seem to touch the ground. Sebastian was aware that this girl was not a human girl.

He heard someone fire a gun, searing pain in his back followed it. He fell forwards, blood leaking out of the corner of his mouth. He coughed, the red liquid splattering the ground beneath him. The metallic scent hit his nose. _'I don't want to die.' _

The little girl laughed again. "Onii-san has a very strong will to live." She crouched down beside him. "How would you like to make a deal with me?"

"...a...deal...?"

"I can make you stronger and help you search for your brother. In exchange, you'll let me have your soul."

"...what...are you...?"

"I'm what you humans call a demon." She said in a light-hearted tone.

"...a demon, huh...?" Sebastian coughed up more blood. "Once I...rescue Ciel...and kill them all...you can...have it..."

The little girl smiled and touched his left hand. A pentacle glowed bright red on the back of his hand briefly, before turning black. "This mark will let me locate you. If you call me, I'll come right away, even if my body is in pieces."

Sebastian slipped into unconsciousness after the demon had finished. She picked up three pebbles off the ground.

"Hey little girl. Get away before I shoot you." One of the men threatened, pointing his gun at her. The other two followed suit.

"I won't let you humans take my meal away from me." She smiled, her eyes flashing a dangerous red. The guns exploded, the little girl standing with her right arm outstretched. "I suggest you leave before I decide to make you my afternoon snack."

The three men scrambled away, screaming devil.

She dusted off her skirt. She turned back to Sebastian. "Still out cold." As soon as she finished her sentence, he began to stir.

He pushed himself up slowly. "It doesn't hurt anymore." He got to his feet.

"I've made you into a demon." The little girl said. "Other than the fact that you're stronger, faster and your senses are much more acute, you're the same."

"Who are you?"

"I'm Hecate." She tilted her head to one side, the end of her red pigtail brushing the ground. "Aren't you going to rescue your brother? Who knows what they might've done to him by now?"

_'But how will I find him? I don't know if he's even in Japan anymore.' _

Hecate took his hand in both of hers. He was pulled forward, the landscape merely a blur of colors. He didn't know whether they were flying or teleporting, just that they were traveling at a very high speed.

Their surroundings stilled. They stood in the shadow of a large mansion.

"There's eleven humans out on patrol."

"How-"

Hecate giggled. "Magic. Now let's go rescue your brother."

* * *

This chapter's shorter than the usual, I apologize for that. I can't write long action scenes very well. Like how Tanaka can't stay in his normal form for very long.

So what are everyone's opinions on Hecate? Good? Bad? Thanks for reading and please review! Ideas and feedback are appreciated!

Also, if you're interested, you can read Dragon Scar and All in Good Time (shonen-ai) here: http : / / www . fictionpress . com / u / 666539 / (take out spaces) shameless advertising! owo


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